Ford, Jr.: Letterman Wrong, But Palins 'Unique'

Harold Ford, Jr. is the epitome of the equivocating politician who tries to play things both ways.  But that strategy came a cropper for the MSNBC contributor on Morning Joe today. 

Ford claimed that though Letterman was wrong to make sexual jokes about Sarah Palin's teenage daughter, somehow the Palins are "unique," and thus presumably an understandable target. Mika Brzezinski came down on him.  A clearly uncomfortable Ford was soon seeking cover.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I wonder if it was the kid of Al Gore or Bill Clinton when he was president, or the Obamas, if that joke would ever be told.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: No, it never would.

HAROLD FORD, JR.: No, I disagree, I disagree. I've seen him go after --

BRZEZINSKI: But I mean this is an edge, this is an edge, to go after the kid and the issue of pregnancy in talking about a kid. I mean, come on. I'm talking about in this way.

FORD: Don't get me wrong.  It was wrong. But I think he goes after, he's gone after—you do not have—the Palin situation is unique, and I don't want to get in the middle of their situation.

BRZEZINSKI: Why is it unique? I know a number of Democrats who have kids who have gotten pregnant.

FORD: Well --

BRZEZINSKI: Why is it unique?

FORD: I don't.  Not at that—anyway, I don't want to get in the middle.  He apologized.

BRZEZINSKI: Or have had problems with drugs.

SCARBOROUGH: Even though now the child is much older, there was a very powerful Democrat who everybody knew in Washington, their child had gotten in trouble with drugs --

BRZEZINSKI: I know of two.

SCARBOROUGH: And everybody stayed away from it, everybody protected that, that person.  I think this is just an extension of the contempt that people have for the Palins on the East Coast. I'm not saying that she's a good candidate or she's a great politician. I'm not saying it. I'm just saying we've seen this from the first day that Sarah Palin has come onto the scene politically, nationally, the Palins have been treated like aliens from another planet. And been targeted. We saw it.  I mean, the Daily Kos lies about Sarah Palin.  And the media just chased it, they were rabid. We saw it the first night it broke. There's something about the Palins that make people --

BRZEZINSKI: -- feel like they can go further.

SCARBOROUGH: that liberals hate.